Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Guelli.
Alexandra, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The Orange Chair opened in the spring of 2014, in Bedford MA. I attended cosmetology school during my junior and senior year of high school, and started working in Bedford after passing my board exam. I set the goal of opening my own salon by the age of 21, with the help and support from family and friends I was able to accomplish that. During the four years I have owned the business it has grown faster than I ever expected. I have five cosmetologists and one esthetician.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
With any business there are obstacles. Most were typical issues that come with owning, one in particular that took me a couple of years to overcome was a work-life balance. It is really important to take time off for yourself and set work boundaries, it’s beneficial to you and your clients if you are your best self. I always come into work with a smile on and ready to work no matter what I have going on outside of the workplace.
Please tell us about The Orange Chair.
The Orange Chair offers cutting, coloring, hair extensions, smoothing, makeup, eyelash extensions, and skin treatments. We use Schwarzkopf hair color and living proof products. I also carry Jax Skincare which is a non-toxic skincare line my sister started. I specialize in hairtalk tape in hair extensions, I love working with them to achieve results for clients that can’t achieve the look with their natural hair. I think what sets us apart from other salons in our area is our city, boutique feel with the convenience of being in the suburbs. I am really proud of the growth in the past 4 years and am looking forward to see what is next for my business. Working hard and focusing on goals is how you grow and learn and ultimately become a well-grounded and established business. I try to be the best person I can and I feel very fortunate that a lot of good has come back my way.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over I wouldn’t do much differently, anything that didn’t go as planned was a well learned lesson. When I look back at the day I opened, I have grown so much. I’ve learned the importance of working through problems, small issues used to feel like the end of the world. I used to freak out if something didn’t go as planned but my dad always reminds me to “enjoy the process.”
Contact Info:
- Address: 54 Loomis Street
Bedford, MA 01730 - Website: www.theorangechairsalon.com
- Email: theorangechairsalon@gmail.com
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